


A Lost Vestige

by DiscordantMinnow



Category: No. 6 (Anime & Manga), No. 6 - All Media Types, No. 6 - Asano Atsuko
Genre: Minor Character Death, One Shot, Short work, this is pretty sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-29
Updated: 2016-05-29
Packaged: 2018-07-10 20:58:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7006585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiscordantMinnow/pseuds/DiscordantMinnow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shion holds tightly to his memories of Nezumi though they are slowly slipping through his fingers.<br/>Short, mainly introspective work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lost Vestige

**Author's Note:**

> I asked my friend for a word to inspire a fanfic and she gave me 'vestige'. This is what I came up with. I originally made this as a oneshot but I wouldn't mind continuing it.
> 
> This is my first fanfic, so I would love feedback!

    The warm summer air pooled around Shion as he walked along the road. The streetlights emitted a warm glow, giving off a sort of drowsy effect. Shion stretched his arms out over his head, letting out a yawn. He stopped, looking up at the sky. _Are you looking at the sky right now, Nezumi? What does the sky look like to you? Is it nighttime where you are? Do you remember what the sky looked like in West Block?_ Questions swam about Shion’s head, as they had been doing so often after Nezumi had left three years ago.

    Shion remembered what the sky looked like in West Block. He could never forget. The stars shone brightly. The sun painted the sky in a hundred blazing colors when it rose. The wind was different there, too. It did not gently graze your face. It was not forgiving there; it was aggressive. West Block was a cruel teacher, but Shion was thankful for the knowledge that he had learned there. Shion loved the old book-filled room. Or rather, he yearned for it. For Nezumi. For nights spent with the warmth of another pressed to his back. For dancing lessons and soup that scalded the roof of his mouth. For the feeling of being alive. _Live_. He remembered being told this. He held on to this instruction with all that he had. It pulled him through the loneliness, the lack of sleep, and the seemingly never-ending meetings.

    Shion stopped walking when he realized that he had just passed the front door of his apartment. He sighed, turned back around and let himself in. His apartment was well-sized, but much of the space was occupied by books. Many of these books were new, just a small amount of the books that he had shipped in from No. 5 for the community to read. Some of them, however, he had scavenged from what remained of the room in West Block, which had been ruined after the Hunt. The first vestige lost.  

    Shion dropped his bag on the table and continued on to his bedroom to let Tsukiyo out of his cage. He didn’t really want to keep the mouse in a cage while he was away, but he technically wasn’t supposed to be out of his cage at all due to Shion’s apartment lease. Shion opened the cage door and waited for Tsukiyo to come out of his wooden hut… But the mouse did not emerge.

    “Hey buddy, time to wake up.” Shion cooed to the mouse. He nudged the hut with his finger, “Tsukiyo?”

     Still no movement.

     Shion started to panic. How old was Tsukiyo? Surely not old enough to… he didn’t want to even think of the words. He lifted the hut and saw a limp mound of black fur lying underneath.

    “Tsukiyo?” his voice trembled. He reached to the mound and picked it up gingerly. It was warm. _He’s alive!_ Shion watched the mouse’s chest move in quick bouts. He gently put the mouse back in its cage and ran to his computer. _Vets, vets, come on! Agh! None of them are open! They don’t even treat mice! What do I do now?  I don’t know how to treat a mouse! What am I supposed to do? Calm down. Think._

    Twenty minutes later, Shion arrived at a small, simple house with a large fenced-in yard. He ran to the door and knocked several times. Barks sounded from inside the house. They all quieted as Shion heard footsteps approaching the door. The door opened.

    "Shion?” Inukashi said in a sleepy voice, “What are you doing here? It’s one in the morning.”

    “Please Inukashi, I need your help! Please!” He pushed the cage toward Inukashi, tears welling in his eyes. “There’s something wrong with Tsukiyo! Please, I don’t know what else to do!”

    “Shion, I… I don’t know anything about mice.”

    “Please! Anything you can do!” Tears streamed down his face.

    Inukashi scratched the back of their head, looking uncomfortable. “Tch... Alright come inside. I’ll see what I can do.”

    They shuffled inside the house and Shion put the cage on the kitchen table. Inukashi reached inside and removed Tsukiyo and held him up to their face, examining the mouse. Shion waited with baited breath. Inukashi eventually replaced Tsukiyo and lowered their eyes.

    “Shion… I think he’s just old. Nezumi had him since before I met him.”

    "No… No, I-“

    “Shion. I don’t think I can help”

    “No… please, no. Nezumi will never forgive me.” The tears were now rushing down Shion’s face. _Nezumi. He wouldn’t want me to break down like this. Pull yourself together._ Shion took a deep breath.

    “Will you sit with me?” Shion murmured as he took Tsukiyo back out of his cage and sat down on the cool tile, holding him in his hands.

    “Yeah.” Inukashi slouched down next to him. “If only that bastard hadn’t left. He could sing and make his death painless.”

    “Yeah” Shion sniffed. He took a breath and began to hum the melody that he had heard Nezumi sing to a dying dog once. He knew that it wouldn’t have the same effect, but he wanted to give Tsukiyo the respectful passing that the mouse deserved. It had been with him through so much.

*  *  *

    The summer sun beat down on Shion and Inukashi as they walked through the tall grass, eventually stopping at a large pillar that lay sideways on the ground. The ruins were all that remained of the room. Since it was underground, it had completely caved in and filled with dirt. What was once stone was now covered with grass and wildflowers. The breeze caressed his face. _The wind here has become gentler_ , Shion thought.

    Shion put down a small bundle of cloth and began digging. He had expected Inukashi to simply accompany him, but they began to dig as well.

    “It’s ok, the hole is small so I don’t need help,” said Shion.

    “No, you helped take care of the dogs. I’m going to help you.”

    Tsukiyo was laid in the ground under the wildflowers.

 

    And so another vestige of Nezumi was lost.


End file.
